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Title: White Man's Grave : A Novel by Richard Dooling ISBN: 0-312-13214-X Publisher: Picador Pub. Date: 15 March, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.1 (21 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Questions our understanding of reality
Comment: White Man's Grave is reminiscent of Conrad's Heart of Darkness in its descriptions of a westerner becoming increasingly entangled in the ominous world of an alien jungle. Behind the obvious irony of contrasting life of a lawyer with life in the bush (which he does with some really apt metaphors), Dooling forces us to ask: What is civilization? To what extent is any culture just a comfortable reality built upon an agreed-upon set of beliefs? Describing "magic" in matter-of-fact terms, Dooling offers no explanation of its source, demanding that the reader take on the impossible task of reconciling magic with "western" "reality."
The character of Boone is far too simplistic. As a student of the humanities, in the western world (sleeping in a cemetary in Paris), Boone is sympathetic to the possibilities of thought and metaphor. But once he reaches Africa, he more and more resembles Lewis in his intolerance. Perhaps this highlights the limitations of western liberal studies; but the Lewis/Boone vs. Sisay/Killigan polarization became cartoonish by the end and detracted from the pure description of the world of the Mende.
The end is far too abrupt. After so many warnings about the dangers of the bush and of the baboon people, when Boone finally enters that world, it is anticlimactic. Once Killigan shows up, the story becomes a western spy story; Dooling passes up an opportunity to reveal the complexities of politics and culture of Sierra Leone in even more vivid and challenging detail.
Rating: 4
Summary: What do the Mende Say?
Comment: I lived with the Mende for two years. I thoroughly enjoyed reading WHITE MAN'S GRAVE except for the weak ending. I was left with one concern, however.
A rule-absolute about Mende secret societies was that the members kept the society secrets or were permanently ostracized. My hosts were gracious but uncompromising on the subject and specific in their directions. "Please turn your back. A woman must not see that." "Please take off your shoes. This is sacred ground." "This is a cultural time. Please close your shutters and stay inside." "That is society business." "This is a place men may not go."
I think Dooling wrote a grand story and one that exposes some of the customs of three generic cultures (law, insurance, and West African), but please do not believe that he described the Mende and their customs accurately. I have no doubt that some of what he wrote is practiced in some cultures. But let me repeat, these are generic ideas, not necessarily the beliefs and practices of the Mende people.
There are many Mende on the Internet these days. Would a Mende please comment?
Rating: 4
Summary: A great book with a few unrealistic touches.
Comment: I loved this book to its full extent. It is a perfect representation of some Americans travelling abroad, both of the foreign native extremist types that want to become like those of the native land and that of the American tourist type that can never fully appreciate a land and its people. It also has many implications on the development of West Africa and its role in the global economy. The only part that was disbelievable was the African magic that was actualized in the old American's closet. It is certainly worth a read, not only for the story, but for the cultural content that is difficult to find in other sources.
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Title: Critical Care by Richard Dooling ISBN: 0312143044 Publisher: Picador USA Pub. Date: 01 July, 1996 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Bet Your Life by Richard Dooling ISBN: 0060505400 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 14 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Brain Storm by Richard Dooling ISBN: 0312203993 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 01 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Train: A Novel by PETE DEXTER ISBN: 0385505914 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 07 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Ponds of Kalambayi: An African Sojourn by Mike Tidwell ISBN: 155821447X Publisher: The Lyons Press Pub. Date: 01 May, 1996 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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